“Candy Ministry”

Various parts of the Church often pass judgment on certain things taking place in the Church, during or after the fact, without learning from the things they have passed judgment on. They also are guilty of passing judgment only on those things that offend their religious sympathies. They might scream out about part of what is going on in a particular situation while looking to adapt other things going on in the same situation, when in actuality what they are screaming about and what they are adapting are both in the flesh. Others don’t have a clue! They go with any new toy that is popular and fun, draws a crowd, and makes them feel good.

Once upon a time there were those who decided to begin a youth ministry. Some called it the “Candy Ministry,” meaning that they would throw out things that would attract the crowds. They threw it out and the crowds came, and the youth ministry grew and it grew and it grew. It became one of the largest, if not the largest, youth ministries in a particular country, if not on the whole earth. It was known Churchwide and worldwide, but the seeds of its defeat and eventual collapse were built into its foundation. If anything is built on anything besides Jesus Christ, His character and His truth, a wind is on the way that will eventually blow it a way. It may takes years, decades or centuries, but it will be blown away. There are some who may eventually wake up and recover to become what Jesus wants them to be, but many will fall away and/or never finish their God-given course. Yes, out of our treasures we take the old and the new, but in both cases let’s make sure that all is of Jesus, His character and His Word of truth, and that nothing is of the world and the flesh.

There are some local church names that are long and possibly of the flesh. They highlight man and not God. In some cases, they have to be long in order to be unique so they can be recognized by the Secretary of State. Short or long, let them be for the glory of God and not man. Short or long, in its name, let every part of the Church glorify Christ and worship in spirit and in truth, and never in the flesh. Some are concerned with long names, but might even consider a name such as the “Back Flip Church,” figuratively, if not literally.

Let God raise up ministers and ministries that will preach and teach the things of Jesus and the things of the kingdom of God while making mature disciples of Jesus that will know Him intimately and His whole Word thoroughly. The resulting Church will be united in faith and will turn the world upside down for Jesus Christ. That Church will bypass local and denominational or non-denominational names, and will simply be the bride that is making herself ready for the marriage of the Lamb. That Church will be working together and saying the same things to those in the harvest field that has for two thousand years been white for harvest. That Church will have ministers who use their ministry opportunities to continually fulfill Paul’s admonition to Timothy found in 2 Timothy 4:2--Preach the Word… That type of minister will equip disciples who fulfill Luke 9:23 and Luke 14:27, 33. That type of disciples will give the Lord a Church that fulfills John 17 and Ephesians 4:12-16. That type of Church will say, "Come, Lord Jesus."

Holy Spirit, let it happen and let it happen quickly!